2016
#PopeFrancis "Jesus desires that the Holy Spirit may blaze like fire in our hearts" #Angelus FULL TEXT - Video
Novena to St. Maximilian Kolbe - Patron of #Drug #Addicts - SHARE #Kolbe #Miracle #Prayer
Before the Angelus:
Dear brothers and sisters, Good morning!
Today’s Gospel (Lk 12: 49-53) is part of the teachings of Jesus to his disciples as they made their way up toward Jerusalem, where He awaits death on the Cross. To indicate the purpose (scope) of His mission, He uses three images: fire, baptism and division. Today, I wish to speak about the first image: fire. Fire.
Jesus expresses it in these words: “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” (v.49). The fire which Jesus speaks about to is the fire of the Holy Spirit, the alive and active presence in all of us since our Baptism. It is a creative force that purifies and renews, it burns away every human misery, all selfishness and every sin, and transforms us from within, regenerates and makes us capable of loving. Jesus desires that the Holy Spirit may blaze like fire in our hearts, because it is only from the heart—pay attention to this—that the fire of divine love will flourish and advance the Kingdom of God.
If we open ourselves totally to the Holy Spirit, He will give us the audacity and fervor to proclaim to all Jesus and His consoling message of mercy and salvation, even in distant seas. But this does not come from the head, it comes from the heart. And for this reason, Jesus wishes that this fire enters into our hearts.
To carry out Her mission in the world, the Church needs the help of the Holy Spirit in order to not be deterred by fear and calculation, to not get used to walk within her set borders. The Apostolic courage that the Holy Spirit kindles in us is like a fire that helps us overcome walls and barriers, making us creative and encouraging us to put ourselves in motion to even walk down unexplored or inconvenient roads, offering hope to those we meet. With the fire of the holy spirit, we are called more and more to become communities of people led and transformed by the Holy Spirit, full of understanding, from having more open hearts and joyful faces. More than ever, today, more than ever today, we need priests, consecrated persons and lay faithful, with the attentive gaze of the Apostle, to be moved and to stand before hardships and material and spiritual poverty, characterizing the process of evangelization and of mission with the sounding rhythm of closeness. It is really the fire of the Holy Spirit the brings us with and makes us neighbors with the people that suffer, those who are needy, with so many human miseries, with so many problems: of refugees, of those who suffer. That fire that comes from the heart, fire!
In this moment, I think with admiration especially of the many priests and religious, all over the world, that are dedicated to proclaiming the Gospel with great love and loyalty, often even at the cost of their lives. Their exemplary witness reminds us that the Church does not need bureaucrats and managers, but passionate missionaries, consumed by the ardor to bring the consoling words of Jesus and His regenerating grace to everyone.
If the Church does not receive this fire of the Holy Spirit, or doesn’t let it enter into Herself, it becomes a cold or lukewarm Church, incapable of giving life, because it is made up of cold or lukewarm Christians. It would do us good today to take five minutes and each of us ask ourselves: But how is my heart? Is it cold or lukewarm, or instead capable of receiving this fire? Let us take five minutes for this. It would do good for us all.
We ask the Virgin Mary to pray with us and for us, Heavenly Father, to pour out upon all believers the Holy Spirit, the Divine fire that warms hearts and helps us be in solidarity with the joys and sufferings of our brothers. May the example of St. Maximilian Kolbe, martyr of love, whose feast day is today, support us in our journey and teach us to live the fire of love for God and neighbor.
[Original text: Italian] [Translation by Deborah Castellano Lubov]
After the Angelus:
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I greet with affection all of you Romans and pilgrims present!
Also today, I have the joy of greeting some groups of young people: first of all, scouts who have come from Paris; and the young people who have come to Rome on pilgrimage on foot or by bicycle from Bisuschio, Treviso, Solarolo, Macherio, Sovico, Vall’Alta of Bergamo and seminarians of the Minor Seminary of Bergamo. I repeat to you the words that were the theme of the great meeting [World Youth Day] in Krakow: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.” Strive always to forgive and have a compassionate heart.
I also greet the associations of the project “Postcards on bicycle.“
I wish you all a good Sunday and good lunch. And, please, do not forget to pray for me. Goodbye!
[Original text: Italian]
[Translation by Deborah Castellano Lubov]
Novena to St. Maximilian Kolbe - Patron of #Drug #Addicts - SHARE #Kolbe #Miracle #Prayer
Especially on the Feast of St. Maximilian.
O Lord Jesus Christ, Who said, "greater love than this no man has that a man lay down his life for his friends," through the intercession of Saint Maximilian Kolbe whose life illustrated such love, we beseech Thee to grant us our petitions. (Mention your intentions here) Through the Militia Immaculata movement, which Maximilian founded, he spread a fervent devotion to Our Lady throughout the world. He gave up his life for a total stranger and loved his persecutors, giving us an example of unselfish love for all men -- a love that was inspired by true devotion to Mary. Grant, O Lord Jesus, that we too may give ourselves entirely without reserve to the love and service of our Heavenly Queen in order to better love and serve our fellow man in imitation of Thy humble servant, Saint Maximilian. Amen.
Recite 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Marys and 1 Glory Be each day.
Wow #Olympic winners David Boudia and Steele Johnson say "Our Identity is in Christ" SHARE
SHARE this maybe you'll encourage an Athlete to give the Glory to God!
In an Interview with CBN Boudia explained,“The road to Rio and leading up to that I think God has changed me most really wanting me to be responsible and pursue excellence. Romans 8:28 says God works everything for the good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. And that purpose isn’t for my happiness or my joy, that purpose so that I become more like Christ daily.”
Sunday Mass Online : Readings and Video : Sun. August 14, 2016 - 20th Ord.- C
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 120
Reading 1JER 38:4-6, 8-10
In those days, the princes said to the king:
“Jeremiah ought to be put to death;
he is demoralizing the soldiers who are left in this city,
and all the people, by speaking such things to them;
he is not interested in the welfare of our people,
but in their ruin.”
King Zedekiah answered: “He is in your power”;
for the king could do nothing with them.
And so they took Jeremiah
and threw him into the cistern of Prince Malchiah,
which was in the quarters of the guard,
letting him down with ropes.
There was no water in the cistern, only mud,
and Jeremiah sank into the mud.
Ebed-melech, a court official,
went there from the palace and said to him:
“My lord king,
these men have been at fault
in all they have done to the prophet Jeremiah,
casting him into the cistern.
He will die of famine on the spot,
for there is no more food in the city.”
Then the king ordered Ebed-melech the Cushite
to take three men along with him,
and draw the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before
he should die.
“Jeremiah ought to be put to death;
he is demoralizing the soldiers who are left in this city,
and all the people, by speaking such things to them;
he is not interested in the welfare of our people,
but in their ruin.”
King Zedekiah answered: “He is in your power”;
for the king could do nothing with them.
And so they took Jeremiah
and threw him into the cistern of Prince Malchiah,
which was in the quarters of the guard,
letting him down with ropes.
There was no water in the cistern, only mud,
and Jeremiah sank into the mud.
Ebed-melech, a court official,
went there from the palace and said to him:
“My lord king,
these men have been at fault
in all they have done to the prophet Jeremiah,
casting him into the cistern.
He will die of famine on the spot,
for there is no more food in the city.”
Then the king ordered Ebed-melech the Cushite
to take three men along with him,
and draw the prophet Jeremiah out of the cistern before
he should die.
Responsorial PsalmPS 40:2, 3, 4, 18
R. (14b) Lord, come to my aid!
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me.
R. Lord, come to my aid!
The LORD heard my cry.
He drew me out of the pit of destruction,
out of the mud of the swamp;
he set my feet upon a crag;
he made firm my steps.
R. Lord, come to my aid!
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
Many shall look on in awe
and trust in the LORD.
R. Lord, come to my aid!
Though I am afflicted and poor,
yet the LORD thinks of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
O my God, hold not back!
R. Lord, come to my aid!
I have waited, waited for the LORD,
and he stooped toward me.
R. Lord, come to my aid!
The LORD heard my cry.
He drew me out of the pit of destruction,
out of the mud of the swamp;
he set my feet upon a crag;
he made firm my steps.
R. Lord, come to my aid!
And he put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
Many shall look on in awe
and trust in the LORD.
R. Lord, come to my aid!
Though I am afflicted and poor,
yet the LORD thinks of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
O my God, hold not back!
R. Lord, come to my aid!
Reading 2HEB 12:1-4
Brothers and sisters:
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us
and persevere in running the race that lies before us
while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,
the leader and perfecter of faith.
For the sake of the joy that lay before him
he endured the cross, despising its shame,
and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.
Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners,
in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.
In your struggle against sin
you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
“I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already blazing!
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,
and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son
and a son against his father,
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her mother,
a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us
and persevere in running the race that lies before us
while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,
the leader and perfecter of faith.
For the sake of the joy that lay before him
he endured the cross, despising its shame,
and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.
Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners,
in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.
In your struggle against sin
you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.
AlleluiaJN 10:27
R. Alleluia, alleluia.My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 12:49-53
Jesus said to his disciples:“I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already blazing!
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,
and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son
and a son against his father,
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her mother,
a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
Saint August 14 : St. Maximillian Kolbe : Patron of Drug Addicts, #ProLife and #Journalists
7 January 1894 at Zdunska Wola, Poland
Died:
August 14, 1941, Auschwitz concentration camp, Poland
Canonized:
10 October 1982, Rome, Italy by Pope John Paul II
Major Shrine:
Basilica of the Immaculate Mediatrix of Grace, Niepokalanów, Poland
Patron of:
20th century, Pro-Life Movement, drug addiction, drug addicts, families, amateur radio
Maximilian was born with the name, Rajmund Kolbe was born on January 8, 1894 in the small village of Zduńska-Wola in the Russian part of partitioned Poland. The Kolbes were a devout and patriotic working-class family. They often made the pilgrimage to Jasna Góra where the Black Madonna of Częstochowa had been venerated for centuries, and it was this focal centre of Poland’s spirituality that would define Rajmund’s future. Like St. Francis of Assisi, Rajmund would undergo a transformation of vocation. Initially he considered joining the military, but at age thirteen, he and his elder brother Francis decided to join the Conventual Franciscans. Upon entering the Novitiate in 1910, Rajmund was given the habit and the new name of Maximilian Maria.
The spirit of chivalry, inspired by a commitment to the Mother of God, became Maximilian’s guiding motto. A great leader and organizer, he wanted to transform his ideas into action. Even before his ordination, he had founded the “Knights ofthe Immaculata”—an evangelization movement that was to bring people closer to God. He hoped to convert sinners and enemies of the Church through the intercession of the Virgin Mary. By 1927, he was already building his “City of the Immaculata” at Niepokalanów, near Warsaw. It was here that he mobilized his Franciscan friars and employed the tools of the modern age to spread his message. He established a formidable printing enterprise, distributing millions of copies of his “Rycerz Niepokalanej” (“Knight of the Immaculata”), and broadcasting radio programs. Niepokalanów became a spiritual beacon for Poland, but Maximilian did not want his message to be limited to his homeland. Indeed, he hoped to promote the veneration of the Immaculate Virgin Mary throughout the world.
In the early 1930s, he expanded his mission to Japan, where he established a newspaper, a monastery and a seminary. But as clouds gathered across the world, foreshadowing the horror of the Second World War, Friar Maximilian returned to Poland. Once again, he threw himself into writing, promoting family life in Polish society, and warning against the impending crisis of ideological hatred. When the war broke out in 1939, Niepokalanów became a refuge for those escaping Nazi persecution. Nobody was turned away. Almost 2000 Jews were hidden in the Franciscan friary. The leader of the Knights of the Immaculata would pay the ultimate sacrifice for his kindness. In early 1941, Maximilian was arrested by the Gestapo and was eventually transferred to Auschwitz where he was labeled a political prisoner and assigned number 16670. Even when facing the hell of concentration camp life, he remained concerned for the spiritual and physical welfare of his fellow prisoners. Then, one summer day in 1941, a prisoner managed to escape, and so the commander decided to retaliate.
During the day’s roll call, he randomly selected ten men who would be put to death through starvation. One of these ten was a Polish army sergeant named Franciszek Gajowniczek, a man with a young family. It was then that Maximilian stepped forward and volunteered to replace him. The German Commandant was so surprised by the action of the Franciscan priest that he allowed Maximilian to switch places with the condemned man. The ten were stripped of their clothes and locked in a dark bunker. Even in those last days, Maximilian preached that “hate is destructive; love alone is creative.” The lack of food and water could break neither his spirit nor his body; therefore the Nazis ultimately administered a lethal injection of carbolic acid. Years later, during the first journey to his homeland, John Paul II would visit Maximilian’s death cell, declaring him the “Patron of our difficult century.” Bio from Kolbe.ca
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